Electronic stringed musical instrument with plural resonators and pickup

ABSTRACT

An electronic stringed musical instrument in which the vibrations of the strings are transmitted to resonant beams, the vibrations in said beams are transmitted to a common electromechanical transducer, and the electricaL signal thus generated is amplified and converted into sound.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Alvin S. Hopping [56] ReferencesCited Nolans Point P.0. Box 34. Lake Hopatcong, UNITED STATES PATENTS 2|"7849 2,020,557 11/1935 Loar 84/1.16 1 Appl No 846,473

2,539,297 1/1951 De Lazaro..... 84/].16 [22] Filed July 31, I969 [45]Patemed July 27 1971 3,003,382 10/1961 Fender 84/].16 3,325,580 6/1967Barcus et a1. 84/].16 I Primary Examiner-Milton O. Hirshfield [54] E ETRONI IN M I AL Assllrlant ExaminerU1ysses Weldon 11:31 I'SgME H L A RONAT R AND Attorney-Herbert Smith Sylvester P K 7 Claims, 5 DrawingFigs. {52] US. Cl 84/] .16, ABSTRACT: An electronic stringed musicalinstrument in 84/1.04,84/1 14 which the vibrations of the strings aretransmitted to resonant [5| 1 Int. Cl Gl0f 1/02 m the vibrations in saidbeams are transmitted to a [50] Field of Search 4/1.04, monelectromechanical transducer, and the electrical signal 8 1.06, 1.14,1.15, 1.16, DIG. 21,D|G. 24

thus generated is amplified and converted into sound.

ELECTRONIC STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ILURAL RESONATORS AND PICKUPThis invention relates to electronic stringed musical instruments. Moreparticularly, it relates to electronic stringed musical instrumentswhich are bowed, i.e. of the type of violins, violas, and cellos, andwhich may use conventional strings, fingerboard and bow.

Only a few of the most expensive conventional violins have a uniformvolume output, note to note, and the reputation of the famous oldinstrument makers is largely based on such uniformity of output. Usingconventional violin strings, fingerboard and bow, this problem has nowbeen overcome by means of the instant invention in which a beamresonator, preferably a broadlytuned wooden beam, is supplied for eachsemitone of the musical scale and reinforces these notes when played.Inasmuch as audible output is provided by electronic amplification and aloudspeaker system, each of these tuned wooden strips can be small andall can be placed in a somewhat smaller area than that of a violin top.

The instant device also offers the advantage that in manufacture, anoutput or resonance curve can be taken from a prototype instrument andany needed change narrowed down to the specific beam involved and slightalterations made in it. Thus, an instrument can be producedwhich is muchmore uniform in output than the conventional violin. Since there are notcurved surfaces, all parts canbe accurately measured after theprototypeinstrument is finally completed and the prototype can beduplicated without difficulty.

Previous attempts at electronic amplification of string tones hasresulted in unwanted amplification of sounds from handling of theinstrument, increase in bow scrape, objectionable thump from fingerplacement in selecting the notes, and feedback howl. In the musicalinstrument of thepresent invention these undesirable conditions havebeen avoided by use of resilient mountings and spanner averagers atappropriate locations. A preferred magnetic pickup is employed which ischaracterized by high amplification and low microphonics due to'itsclosed magnetic circuit and substantially constant spacing between itsfixed permanent magnets and its movable armature element, which in thisinstance suitably is a spanner element.

Although the present instrument produces a characteristic violin soundof eminent quality, its voice quality can be changed by availableelectronic techniques so the instrument can have string tone, brass horntone, or sax voice. The range of the instrument can be extended fromviolin to cello by lowering its pitch one octave by means of electronicfrequency division. Voicing not available on the conventional violin maybe obtained with volume sufficient to satisfy any musician. Theinstrument is also characterized by prompt response to the demands ofmusicians with respect to fast attack and fast decay.

Various other-features and advantages of the musical instrument of thepresent invention will become apparent on consideration of the followingembodiment as more completely illustrated in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a view in section of an electronic violin in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 taken in thedirection shown;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale of a conventional bridge as usedin the instant instrument;

FIG. 4 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, of a crystal pickupstructure which may be used in the device of FIG. I in lieu of theelectromagnetic pickup employed therein; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the pickup of FIG. 4 taken along the line 55thereof in the direction shown.

In the figures, a conventional bow (not shown) is used with afingerboard 10 which is mounted on a neck I2 having a peg box 14 andscroll 20. The neck 12 supports four violin strings 22 in the usualmanner. The strings 22 are supported at the outer end of the fingerboard10 by a nut 26, and pass over a 1 conventional two-leggedbridge 30 (bestillustrated in FIG. 3).-

Tension is maintained on the strings by a-tailpiece 32, which is affixedto an end pin 36.

The end pin 36 is carried by a block 38, and both the block and the neck12 are affixed to a rigid, substantially nonresonant back 40. The bridge30 is cemented by its two feet 44 and 46 (best seen in FIG. 3) to awooden spanner bar 50, which in turn is cemented across four pretunedresonant beams 52, 54, 56, and 58, each pretuned to resonate at adifferent semitone of the musical scale. These wooden beams are made ofredwood and are dimensioned to resonate broadly at tip- 7 propriatefrequencies before installation. The wooden beams are characterized, ofcourse, by a relatively high flexibility,

being characterized by a youngs modules of elasticity ,of less than2Xl0, i.e., l-.5 l0. Thus, the beams exhibit substantial displacementwhen stressed, which in turn generates a highlevel output in thetransducer associated therewith. The wooden spanner bar 50 is also madeof redwood.

The resonant beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 are, in turn cemented to resilientrubber mounting pads. One pad 60 is cemented to the nodal point of eachresonant beam, and a second pad 64 is cemented to the resonant strips inthe proximityv of the wooden spanner bar 50. The preferred position is,as shown in FIG. 2, slightly toward the aligned ends of the resonantbeams 52, 54, 56 and 58, and the cement employed in the instant deviceis of the nonrigid type so that a flexible, resilient, pliant elasticcondition is maintained.

The resonant beams are disposed in a common horizontal plane in agenerally parallel fashion with one end of each beam being disposedalong a common line. The resilient pads 60 and 64, which are cemented ontheir upper surface to the beams 52,54, 56 and 58, are also cemented ontheir lower surfaces to the back 40. v v

A steel pickup spanner 70 is cemented transversely across the top facesof the beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 at their aligned ends. A resilient rubberspacer 72 is, in turn, cemented to the steel pickup spanner 70. A air ofcoils 76 are mounted side by side along the length of the resilientspacer 72, and each coil 76 has an iron core 79 which is cemented at oneend to the 80. A steel strip 84 bridges the two magnets 80, to act as apole-closing member.

The permanent magnets 80 create a magnetic circuit in which the magneticflux passes from one magnet through the core 79 of the associated pickupcoil 76, thence across the gap provided by the resilient spacer 72 tothe steel pickup spanner 70. The magnetic flux continues through thesteel pickup spanner 70, recrosses the resilient spacer 72 to enter theother pickup coil 76 and core 79, passes through the other permanentmagnet 80, and then crosses the pole-closing steel strip 84 to completethe circuit to the original permanent magnet. I In operation, when thestrings 22 are played with a how, the vibrations of these strings arecarried by the bridge 30 to the wooden spanner bar 50. Since theresonant beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 are made of wood, they have a fairlylow 0" and are broadly tuned. The vibrations of the resonant beams aretransmitted to the steel pickup spanner 70 at the ends of the beams, andthe vibrations of the steel pickup spanner 70 to modify the flux gapacross the resilient spacer 72 under each core (as in a variablereluctance transducer), thus generating an output signal in the coils76.

The output signal from the coils 76 is transmitted by wire leads and 92to an amplifier 94 through optional voicing filters 96 and thence to aloudspeaker 100.

The electromagnetic pickup system illustrated in FIGS. 1 3 may bereplaced by a piezoelectric device as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, a ceramic phonograph cartridge 106is fitted with a needle-clamping screw 110. In place of a needle, a wireI 12 having a diameter of 0.040

inches is shaped todepend from the cartridge 106 and is then ,bentlaterally to a horizontal position to form an arm which is "cemented toa comparatively thin resilientrubber pad 120,

whichin turn is cemented to the pickup spanner-70. The body of thecartridge 106 is also cemented to an appreciably thicker resilientrubber block 122 which is also cemented to the pickup spanner 70. Thecartridge 106', the pickup spanner 70, and the wire 112 interact to pickup vibrations from the beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 and generate therefromelectrical signals in the cartridge which are carried by the leads 90and 92 to the balance of the instrument as shown in FIGS. 1-3.

The electromechanical transducers of FIGS. 1-3 and the piezoelectrictransducer of FIGS. 4-5 are acoustically insulated from the case of theinstrument as a whole, being entirely supported on the pickup spanner70. in addition, the beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 are also resilientlymounted. This is highly advantageous in that the problems of unwantedamplification of sounds generated from handling the instrument,including increased bow scrape and objectionable thump from fingerplacement in selecting the notes to be played, are eliminated. Otheradvantages of the instant instrument are that, if desired, theiresonantbeams 52, 54, 56 and 58 may be fabricated to duplicate-the resonantpeaks and output qualities of famous old instruments, and that they mayalso be pretuned to tones below, between, or above the string tones.

What I claim is:

1. An electronic stringed musical instrument comprising a bridge, aplurality of vibratory musical strings tensioned against said bridge, aplurality of resonant beams to which vibrations of said strings aretransmitted through said bridge, a pickup spanner mounted transverselyacross said resonant beams and into which the vibrations of said beamsare coupled therefrom, and an electromechanical transducer forconverting the vibrations coupled into said spanner into electricalsignals.

, claim 1 having a wooden spanner bar which is transversely mountedacross said resonant beams and on which said bridge is mounted.

5. An electronic stringed musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 inwhich said pickup spanner is ferromagnetic and in which said transducerincludes apickup coil and a permanent magnet magnetically coupled tosaid coil to form a magnetic circuit in which vibrations coupled to saidpickup spanner from said beams generate electric signals.

6. An electronic stringed musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 inwhich a resilient coupling member is mounted on said pickup spanner, andsaid transducer includes a piezoelectric cartridge supported on saidresilient coupling member, vibrations in' said spanner being transmittedto the sensing element of said cartridge from said pickup spannerthrough said resilient coupling member.

7. A bowed electronic stringed musical instrument comprising a pluralityof strings adapted to be bowed; a two-legged bridge against which saidplurality of strings bear; a plurality of pretuned resonant wooden beamsand a wooden spanner bar transversely mounted along the centrallongitudinal portion thereof and carrying said bridge, from which bridgevibra- 2. An electronic stringed musical instrument as set forth inclaim 1 in which said resonant beams are wooden beams which arepretunedto resonate atsemitones of the musical scale.

3. An electro nic stringed musical instrument as set forth in tions ofsaid strings are transmitted to said resonant wooden beams, said beamsbeing disposed in a substantially parallel manner in a common plane andextending from a common line of origin; a pickup spanner mountedtransversely across all of said pretuned beams near the common line oforigin thereof and into which the vibrations of said beams are coupled;a resilient coupling member mounted on said picku spanner;an'electromechanical transducer having a sensing element which iscoupled to said pickup spanner through said resilient coupling; anamplifier for accepting the electrical output of said transducer andamplifying it; and means for converting said amplified signal intosound.

1. An electronic stringed musical instrument comprising a bridge, aplurality of vibratory musical strings tensioned against said bridge, aplurality of resonant beams to which vibrations of said strings aretransmitted through said bridge, a pickup spanner mounted transverselyacross said resonant beams and into which the vibrations of said beamsare coupled therefrom, and an electromechanical transducer forconverting the vibrations coupled into said spanner into electricalsignals.
 2. An electronic stringed musical instrument as set forth inclaim 1 in which said resonant beams are wooden beams which are pretunedto resonate at semitones of the musical scale.
 3. An electronic stringedmusical instrument as set forth in claim 1 in which said transducer isresiliently mounted on and entirely supported by said pickup spanner,thereby being acoustically insulated from all other members of saidmusical instrument.
 4. An electronic stringed musical instrument as setforth in claim 1 having a wooden spanner bar which is transverselymounted across said resonant beams and on which said bridge is mounted.5. An electronic stringed musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 inwhich said pickup spanner is ferromagnetic and in which said transducerincludes a pickup coil and a permanent magnet magnetically coupled tosaid coil to form a magnetic circuit in which vibrations coupled to saidpickup spanner from said beamS generate electric signals.
 6. Anelectronic stringed musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 in whicha resilient coupling member is mounted on said pickup spanner, and saidtransducer includes a piezoelectric cartridge supported on saidresilient coupling member, vibrations in said spanner being transmittedto the sensing element of said cartridge from said pickup spannerthrough said resilient coupling member.
 7. A bowed electronic stringedmusical instrument comprising a plurality of strings adapted to bebowed; a two-legged bridge against which said plurality of strings bear;a plurality of pretuned resonant wooden beams and a wooden spanner bartransversely mounted along the central longitudinal portion thereof andcarrying said bridge, from which bridge vibrations of said strings aretransmitted to said resonant wooden beams, said beams being disposed ina substantially parallel manner in a common plane and extending from acommon line of origin; a pickup spanner mounted transversely across allof said pretuned beams near the common line of origin thereof and intowhich the vibrations of said beams are coupled; a resilient couplingmember mounted on said pickup spanner; an electromechanical transducerhaving a sensing element which is coupled to said pickup spanner throughsaid resilient coupling; an amplifier for accepting the electricaloutput of said transducer and amplifying it; and means for convertingsaid amplified signal into sound.